DEQOR makes home staging a cinch for real estate agents

Real estate agents with home staging challenges and design questions have a new resource in DEQOR, an online furniture, accessory and decor provider whose mission is to make shopping for home needs more convenient and affordable.

Launched in November 2014 by a team of e-commerce veterans, DEQOR offers competitively priced home goods as well as a concierge service that assists agents, other industry professionals and shoppers with personalized product suggestions, design guidance and shipping coordination.

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“Many online retailers sell socks the same way they sell sofas,” said Tim Dilworth, president and CEO of DEQOR and formerly the senior vice president of marketing for Overstock.com. “We really believe the furniture and home decor online shopping experience is lacking in functionality and usability, and we wanted to help consumers make more informed purchases. We’re on a mission to deliver high-quality goods online with enhanced user functionality.”

Connecting agents with interior designers

DEQOR offers brands such as Armen Living and Alton Furniture while partnering with many leading designers and manufacturers to ship items directly from their warehouses and keep costs as low as possible. The company also offers free shipping and will match competitors’ pricing.

But agents will probably be most interested in DEQOR’s concierge and trade program, which allows professionals to receive a discount on assortments.

“Real estate agents don’t always have the bandwidth to have designers or stagers on staff, so DEQOR assists in filling that void with their customer service team, powered by interior designers,” said Lindsey Palmer, who handles media relations for the company. We want to educate agents on the importance of purchasing timeless and transitional pieces that appeal to a wide audience in an effort to increase their chances of selling a home.

“Agents can think of DEQOR as a hub of industry connections and expertise that can help enhance their listing or fill a void that they may need more guidance on.”

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The company’s free concierge service connects customers to an interior designer who makes recommendations and creates a personalized shopping list within one business day.

A separate $200 design service will get you a consultation with an interior designer who makes a custom “mood board” depicting your vision, suggests personalized products, finalizes design and room layouts and coordinates the order process.

“We wanted to give our customers a way to get interior designer knowledge, without paying a lot of money for an interior designer,” Dilworth said.

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A resource for boosting home staging inventory

While some large brands require a higher order volume than many real estate agents need, DEQOR’s trade program allows you to make purchases in smaller quantities with no minimum buy-in standards.

“Realtors can call us and build their staging inventories,” said CoCo Peterson, DEQOR’s director of merchandise. “We can help them with everything from beds to accent pieces, with an emphasis on being homey but not going overboard and making a house look like a staging unit.”

Some of Peterson’s top staging and decorating tips for Realtors are:

• Get rid of clutter.
• Embrace furniture grouping to make things feel larger.
• Great lighting is essential.
• Use neutrals if possible for wall colors.
• Stick to odd numbers when accessorizing.
• Design serene bedrooms.
• Create a balance throughout the entire home.

“You don’t want something that weighs 1,000 pounds in the bedroom,” Peterson added. “This is where our concierge service comes in handy.”

Based in Salt Lake City, DEQOR ships items to customers in the continental U.S.

Email Amy Swinderman.